Every seven minutes, a person is hospitalised due to alcohol-related illness. In the last 10 years, there has been a 54% increase in binge drinking.

The statistics from the NHS Information Centre indicate that as many as 70,000 people were taken to NHS hospitals last year due to alcohol-related problems, which is quite high as compared to 45,000 between 1999 and 2000.

The figures include people who drink too much and are suffering from alcohol poisoning or cirrhosis of the liver.

Other statistics mention that 13,000 young people below 18 were admitted due to excessive drinking in the year 2009. Out of the total lot, majority of them were girls. The figures have increased by a third within a period of five years.

John Heyworth, president of the College of Emergency Medicine said that immediate steps should be taken to tackle the growing number of alcohol-related problems, especially in those NHS hospitals which are overloaded.

Mr. Heyworth further added that the problem becomes more severe with the drinking habit of the parents, particularly at nights and weekends.

It is a matter of great concern that one out of four people in the United Kingdom drinks alcohol to the limit that can be dangerous for his/her health.